1
as in to activate
to cause to function
a light actuated by a motion detector the alarm system actuates the door locks
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to move
to set or keep in motion
hearing depends on sound vibrations that actuate the complex mechanism of that sensory organ, the ear
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Recent Examples of actuate
Further, some mechanical switches require little force and/or travel to actuate, which can also help with speed and the amount of energy exerted while typing.
—
Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 27 Mar. 2024
And a story was planted that Nazi Germany actuated the Katyn Massacre in 1940.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2024
The cascading dominoes can also be lightweight, flexible, and actuated by a variety of soft actuators (for example, shape memory alloys, inflatable actuators, bending actuators, etc.), whereas conveyor systems are operated by electric motors.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 Mar. 2023
When in alarm mode, the slide must be actuated again to wind the alarm, changing the bell from red to white.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 10 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for actuate
Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 27 Mar. 2024
And a story was planted that Nazi Germany actuated the Katyn Massacre in 1940.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2024
The cascading dominoes can also be lightweight, flexible, and actuated by a variety of soft actuators (for example, shape memory alloys, inflatable actuators, bending actuators, etc.), whereas conveyor systems are operated by electric motors.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 Mar. 2023
When in alarm mode, the slide must be actuated again to wind the alarm, changing the bell from red to white.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 10 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for actuate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actuate
Verb
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Alternative Option: Plug-In Hybrids (PHEVs) Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles combine electric-only driving (typically 20–50 miles) with a gasoline engine that activates when the battery is depleted.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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Greenberg's team was activated three days before the storm made landfall, according to Congressional testimony by then-FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell.—
Rebecca Hersher,
NPR,
17 June 2025
Verb
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Wales have done well under Wilkinson to move away from a hardened reputation as being Fishlock’s team and become more of a sum of their parts.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
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Employees are held to high speed standards, with some scanning up to 1,200 items an hour to keep lines moving.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Resource and organizational constraints are triggering strategic realignments.—
Timothy J. McClimon,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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With many key military figures already killed in Israeli airstrikes and Iran's nuclear and logistical infrastructure under attack, any power vacuum could trigger instability or factional conflict.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Verb
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The narrative twist: the story is driven not by the characters themselves but by eight distinct emotions in their minds — comedic, romantic, bizarre, and rational.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 June 2025
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Alvarez has been pleased with his pitch recognition, which has helped drive his walk rate and on-base percentage to career bests.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Verb
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Iran supreme leader claims ‘victory’ in first public comments Khamenei’s silence since the war began had sparked intense speculation as to his whereabouts.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
27 June 2025
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Judges have issued dozens of nationwide injunctions in lawsuits that have been brought over Trump administration policies in the months since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, sparking the ire of the president and his allies as much of his agenda has been blocked in court.—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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What Is Happening In China's Property Market? China's property market has propelled the country's explosive economic growth over the past few decades, single-handedly lifting hundreds of millions of Chinese people out of poverty and into the middle class.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
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Such a crypto-friendly ecosystem is propelling American companies to further champion and develop innovative DeFi products and expand their investor base into larger pools of global institutional capital.—
Lawrence Wintermeyer,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Verb
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It’s finished in Bianco white over a Rosso red leather interior and powered by a 2.4-liter V-6 mated to a five-speed manual that makes just under 200 hp.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
24 June 2025
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For millennia, Silk Road trade routes connected Chinese silk to the rest of the world, powering global demand for the premium natural material.—
SJ Studio,
Sourcing Journal,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Four years later, a toxic waste spill led the mine to close altogether, and intense Chinese competition impelled the decision not to reopen.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
17 June 2025
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The language of the play moves freely from the declamatory to the profane, with some of its funniest moments occurring when fury impels a character to unleash some naughty modern vernacular.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Actuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actuate. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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